Fiction as Message: Kingsolver's "Animal Dreams" these problems continue to act benevolently. As he advises his readers: "Give your best and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway." In her novel Animal Dreams, Barbara Kingsolver offers equally inspiring guidance on how to make the most of each day and how to live gracefully despite challenges. This author meticulously creates multiple characters to offer pieces of her own opinions on what it takes to fulfill the responsibilities of being a healthy person. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although Kingsolver's character, Doc Homer, exhibits a variety of unusual habits and displays his emotions in different ways, his mannerisms demonstrate that it is essential for one to love those around us, even though it can be difficult to make these feelings apparent . At several points in the novel, this father figure seems rather distant and apathetic. However, what appears from the outside as dissociation turns out to be a deep affection. First, in a chapter focusing on Doc Homer, Kingsolver describes him as a “spider, driven by different instincts. He lies silent, feeling only the tactile way a spider feels, touching the threads of the web with the tips of his elongated fingers and listening. Listening to life trapped,” (98). One would infer that if Doc Homer didn't really care about his family, he wouldn't be so attentive. The “instincts” Kingsolver refers to function like his paternal and caring instincts. Additionally, the practicality that Doc Homer has developed after years of working as a doctor is reflected in his relationship with his daughters. For example, when the daughters' neighbor and guardian gives the two sisters a set of cowboy boots, hats, toy guns and holsters, Doc Homer decides to take away "the guns, for the preservation of their souls, and the boots on behalf of their bows. He let them keep the hats” (170). It is likely that the girls, due to their young age, did not understand their father's reasoning in taking control over what they considered toys. If you provide this rationale behind the decision, it is clear that he prohibited the use of weapons and boots not as a limit of his affection, but as a measure of his deep care. Later, when Codi goes to the disorganized attic of his house, he explains his surprise at investigating. Codi describes that, to his amazement, there are “boxes stuck together of Hallie's and my old clothes, school papers. photo albums and all manner of other detritus were arranged in neat rows, labeled chronologically and by content. I felt overwhelmed by so much material evidence of our family's past” (281). Although all these relics remain out of sight and therefore out of mind of the two sisters, this arrangement does not diminish the fact that they exist. Doc Homer keeps the girls' memorabilia even though he is aware that this expression of love will not be evident to them. Kingsolver consistently demonstrates that the tools Doc Homer uses to express his emotions are slightly eclectic, he also uses his existence in the novel to express to the reader that it is vital for him or her to outwardly show affection, even if his methods are not entirely understood by others. Hallie, the designated inspirational hero of Animal Dreams, serves as Kingsolver's voice and apparatus for evoking powerful emotions in the novel's readers regarding how to live benevolently. For example, in one of the first descriptions of his sister, Codi outlines her strong andfervent desire to help the common good. He expresses his admiration when he describes how “[f]ew people know so clearly what they want. Most people can't even think about what to hope for when they throw a penny into a fountain” (36). This idolatry speaks volumes about Kingsolver's message with Hallie's presence in the novel; if one wants to be celebrated as this global ambassador, one must identify one's values and be rooted in them. Kingsolver addresses this virtue in another quote much later in the novel. In one of Hallie's letters to Codi, which constitute the only direct contact that readers maintain with the protagonist's sister, Hallie once again writes about the fundamental principle in which she is rooted. Hallie explains her perspective on life when she decides that “the least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live within that hope" (299). After considering that Hallie has, at this point, traveled to Nicaragua to teach people how to farm effectively, it is clear that Hallie has already established her own virtue. That said, in addition to writing about her values, she also leads by example. Hallie still uses a quote to embody her and Kingsolver's shared interpretation of how one should live to the fullest and most satisfying extent possible During the ceremony that Cody holds in Hallie's honor, the protagonist reads several quotes written by her late sister and those she admired. Codi reads a remark originally said by Father Fernando Cardenal towards her sister that states: “'Learn to read so you can identify the reality in which you live, so that you can become the protagonist of the story rather than the spectator'” (326) Hallie, a voracious reader, certainly applies this statement to her life throughout the part of the novel in which she is alive. Furthermore, by holding this quote in high regard for one of his characters, Kingsolver manipulates it as a message to his readers to encourage them to get involved in issues that matter to them. Hallie, a global ambassador with seemingly endless sympathy for others, leads by example and through in-order quotes that function as the reader's guide to how he or she should exist. Due to Loyd's troubled adolescent past, from which he recovers as he ascends to adulthood, he learns that it is necessary to constantly evaluate himself and be aware of the moments when change becomes crucial. Both Codi and Loyd experienced considerable growth after graduating from high school. When they later catch up when Codi returns to Grace, it is visible that they have both matured significantly. For example, Loyd shares a remarkable statement when he states, “The spirits have been good enough to let us live here and use the amenities, and we're saying, we know how kind you are… Sorry if we messed up.” Nothing. You've gone to a lot of trouble and we'll try to be good guests" (239). Loyd's growth and maturity are evident throughout his insight. He is now aware of the importance of looking at situations from complete perspectives. That said, one must consider that Loyd developed this mentality by evaluating his own attitude, and Kingsolver uses this exceptional example of advancement to hire Loyd as a leader. At the beginning of the novel, when Codi accompanies Loyd to one of his cockfights, they begin to argue there ethics behind it, and Loyd demonstrates the process he uses to determine whether his actions are moral. He soon comes to the conclusion that he expects that “'that humans... have more heart than that, I can't hear myself good with people who do a spectator sport for puncture wounds and internal bleeding….

Topic > Fiction as Message: Kingsolver's "Animal Dreams" these problems continue to act benevolently. As he advises his readers: "Give your best and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway." In her novel Animal Dreams, Barbara Kingsolver offers equally inspiring guidance on how to make the most of each day and how to live gracefully despite challenges. This author meticulously creates multiple characters to offer pieces of her own opinions on what it takes to fulfill the responsibilities of being a healthy person. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although Kingsolver's character, Doc Homer, exhibits a variety of unusual habits and displays his emotions in different ways, his mannerisms demonstrate that it is essential for one to love those around us, even though it can be difficult to make these feelings apparent . At several points in the novel, this father figure seems rather distant and apathetic. However, what appears from the outside as dissociation turns out to be a deep affection. First, in a chapter focusing on Doc Homer, Kingsolver describes him as a “spider, driven by different instincts. He lies silent, feeling only the tactile way a spider feels, touching the threads of the web with the tips of his elongated fingers and listening. Listening to life trapped,” (98). One would infer that if Doc Homer didn't really care about his family, he wouldn't be so attentive. The “instincts” Kingsolver refers to function like his paternal and caring instincts. Additionally, the practicality that Doc Homer has developed after years of working as a doctor is reflected in his relationship with his daughters. For example, when the daughters' neighbor and guardian gives the two sisters a set of cowboy boots, hats, toy guns and holsters, Doc Homer decides to take away "the guns, for the preservation of their souls, and the boots on behalf of their bows. He let them keep the hats” (170). It is likely that the girls, due to their young age, did not understand their father's reasoning in taking control over what they considered toys. If you provide this rationale behind the decision, it is clear that he prohibited the use of weapons and boots not as a limit of his affection, but as a measure of his deep care. Later, when Codi goes to the disorganized attic of his house, he explains his surprise at investigating. Codi describes that, to his amazement, there are “boxes stuck together of Hallie's and my old clothes, school papers. photo albums and all manner of other detritus were arranged in neat rows, labeled chronologically and by content. I felt overwhelmed by so much material evidence of our family's past” (281). Although all these relics remain out of sight and therefore out of mind of the two sisters, this arrangement does not diminish the fact that they exist. Doc Homer keeps the girls' memorabilia even though he is aware that this expression of love will not be evident to them. Kingsolver consistently demonstrates that the tools Doc Homer uses to express his emotions are slightly eclectic, he also uses his existence in the novel to express to the reader that it is vital for him or her to outwardly show affection, even if his methods are not entirely understood by others. Hallie, the designated inspirational hero of Animal Dreams, serves as Kingsolver's voice and apparatus for evoking powerful emotions in the novel's readers regarding how to live benevolently. For example, in one of the first descriptions of his sister, Codi outlines her strong andfervent desire to help the common good. He expresses his admiration when he describes how “[f]ew people know so clearly what they want. Most people can't even think about what to hope for when they throw a penny into a fountain” (36). This idolatry speaks volumes about Kingsolver's message with Hallie's presence in the novel; if one wants to be celebrated as this global ambassador, one must identify one's values and be rooted in them. Kingsolver addresses this virtue in another quote much later in the novel. In one of Hallie's letters to Codi, which constitute the only direct contact that readers maintain with the protagonist's sister, Hallie once again writes about the fundamental principle in which she is rooted. Hallie explains her perspective on life when she decides that “the least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live within that hope" (299). After considering that Hallie has, at this point, traveled to Nicaragua to teach people how to farm effectively, it is clear that Hallie has already established her own virtue. That said, in addition to writing about her values, she also leads by example. Hallie still uses a quote to embody her and Kingsolver's shared interpretation of how one should live to the fullest and most satisfying extent possible During the ceremony that Cody holds in Hallie's honor, the protagonist reads several quotes written by her late sister and those she admired. Codi reads a remark originally said by Father Fernando Cardenal towards her sister that states: “'Learn to read so you can identify the reality in which you live, so that you can become the protagonist of the story rather than the spectator'” (326) Hallie, a voracious reader, certainly applies this statement to her life throughout the part of the novel in which she is alive. Furthermore, by holding this quote in high regard for one of his characters, Kingsolver manipulates it as a message to his readers to encourage them to get involved in issues that matter to them. Hallie, a global ambassador with seemingly endless sympathy for others, leads by example and through in-order quotes that function as the reader's guide to how he or she should exist. Due to Loyd's troubled adolescent past, from which he recovers as he ascends to adulthood, he learns that it is necessary to constantly evaluate himself and be aware of the moments when change becomes crucial. Both Codi and Loyd experienced considerable growth after graduating from high school. When they later catch up when Codi returns to Grace, it is visible that they have both matured significantly. For example, Loyd shares a remarkable statement when he states, “The spirits have been good enough to let us live here and use the amenities, and we're saying, we know how kind you are… Sorry if we messed up.” Nothing. You've gone to a lot of trouble and we'll try to be good guests" (239). Loyd's growth and maturity are evident throughout his insight. He is now aware of the importance of looking at situations from complete perspectives. That said, one must consider that Loyd developed this mentality by evaluating his own attitude, and Kingsolver uses this exceptional example of advancement to hire Loyd as a leader. At the beginning of the novel, when Codi accompanies Loyd to one of his cockfights, they begin to argue there ethics behind it, and Loyd demonstrates the process he uses to determine whether his actions are moral. He soon comes to the conclusion that he expects that “'that humans... have more heart than that, I can't hear myself good with people who do a spectator sport for puncture wounds and internal bleeding….